SHORT-SPOKEN Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

short-spoken

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˌspō-kən

Definition of short-spoken

as in blunt

being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner don't expect much information or friendly chitchat from the short-spoken villagers

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for short-spoken

Adjective

There is no way to simulate it, and the report is blunt about why.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
As smartphones rolled, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms confronted Republican Rick Jackson outside the National Business League event with a blunt message.

— Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of blunt

Adjective

The rally was fueled partly by a short squeeze, with more than $4 billion in bearish crypto positions liquidated as prices rose.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
The crowd points their phones at the pair, who are alternating between short dances, rhythmic movements, and striking poses.

— Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of short

Adjective

Bob Hoskins’s gruff detective, Eddie Valiant, sees them as a sometimes-dangerous nuisance, while conniving film-studio power players see them as moneymakers, and the rest of humanity sees them as shades in between.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Scott, 88, shares the character's worldview, despite the filmmaker’s notoriously gruff exterior.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

Strahan has been outspoken about his kids in the past, sharing in 2025 that his daughter Isabella Strahan had been diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor, two years prior.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Davis has long been an outspoken advocate for diversity and Black representation, especially in the entertainment industry.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of outspoken

Adjective

After three minutes of routine and relatively curt responses, Redick was asked about the difficulty of closing a team out in a playoff series.

— Law Murray, New York Times, 1 May 2026
There are at least three potential James Bonds among these actors, and each displays his own brand of curt, strapping charm.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of curt

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“Short-spoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short-spoken. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of short-spoken

adjective

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